John Guerrini, Mario Ramanoas and Ernesto Padula designed the Palace of Italian Civilization in Rome, completed in 1953. It was fascist Mussilini’s centerpiece for the EUR complex for business and residential development in a modernized Rome, though it was completed after the war.
Conceived as a box-shaped Colosseum, each side is equal and has 54 arches. The reinforced concrete and travertine limestone cladding continues from the exterior in to the vaulted ceilings and floors. The lonely minimalism is typical for the brutal modernism of that time. The gridded arcade references the ancient empire, but the modern dynamic form references Futurism. The statues at the base, which reference human virtues, relate back to historical methods of propaganda.
The writing on the front face reads: “A people of poets of artists heroes / saints of thinkers of scientists / navigators of transmigrators.”
(emilianofelicissimo– flickr/creative commons license)
(penjelly– flickr/creative commons license)
(Rob React– flickr/creative commons license)
(emilianofelicissimo– flickr/creative commons license)
(FaceMePLS– flickr/creative commons license)
(FaceMePLS– flickr/creative commons license)
(Sergio (aka the Black Cat)– flickr/creative commons license)
(Sergio (aka the Black Cat)– flickr/creative commons license)
